Forever Seventeen
by kaosnklutter
Summary: If Bella could cry she would, but all she could manage was a simple, “Edward?” she dropped down to her kness, “no, no, no please. What did you do to yourself?” Edward was at her side in an instant. “Bella… you’re so pale. Are you sick? ExB read 2 C more.


Forever Seventeen

The weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Above gray clouds moved, threatening, ready to explode white snowflakes at any moment. A figure on the street pulled his black jacket up around his pale neck and kept walking. He was alone outside, not a soul dared to venture out in this -17 degree weather. December was cold especially for Iqaluit, Canada but that wasn't going to stop him. Something about him was special, he was designed to make it through this weather, and he would let nothing stop him from his goal.

He had been traveling for 3 days on foot, running at full speed and having to swim across Hudson Bay in wet clothes was the only thing that slowed him down. He would have traveled for years to get to her, only she could help, for she was his answer for everything.

He could see a small fire in the distance, a small tent pitched by one of the only trees in the hills surrounding Iqaluit. He glanced at the heavens above him again, thankful he was in Canada and it was winter. This lack of foliage and trees unnerved him, yet he moved quickly towards the small camp. A little woman wrapped in a head shawl and a dull, dirty dress stood before the fire with her eyes closed. "I have been waiting for you Edward."

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Bella smiled at Alice skipped around her with arms and arms full of clothes. "Alice, I have too much stuff as it is. Can we please just stick to stuff for the wedding?"

Alice stopped skipping and with a twinkle in her eye replied, "Oh but these are for your honeymoon." Bella blushed a beat red color on her cheeks, then was distracted by a buzzing sound coming from her bag. She pulled her cell phone out, "it's my dad, and I'm going to take this outside."

Bella stood outside the mall and started walking towards a bench by a tree, "hey dad."

"Yeah Alice and I are fine; we are just shopping for stuff. You know how Alice can't resist a good sale.-

I will dad, I love you too. Bye."

Bella snapped her phone shut and turned around to walk back to the mall but a short man stood before her.

"Hello Bella."

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"So you want me to take away years from your life, your immortality? HA- silly vampire. You're willing to give up strength, speed and eternity? And for what?"

"Please do not question me when you do not know my motives."

The gypsy's eyes narrowed at him before her, "exactly, I do not know what would make you want to be so fragile and weak, but it is not my business either. It is better that way." The gypsy dug around her bag and brought out a smaller, leather brown bag. "Now you must be aware of all the consequences-"

Edward interrupted her, "I don't care, she is more important than anything…"

"Like I said, I care not to hear about why. Just listen carefully to me, this is a complex spell and once it is complete it can not be reversed." Edward shook his head yes. "Once we do this, your heart will beat again, you can die, and in turn you can never be turned into a vampire again. Once you die, you die. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Edward gaze never wavered. "Absolutely."

"And in turn- do you have my payment?"

Edward threw a bag at her feet.

The gypsy then threw powder from her leather bag; her eyes were closed and she started to mutter words under her breath that Edward couldn't even hear. The fire leaped into the air before him, and throughout all of this, all he could think of, was finally getting to be with his Bella.

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Bella gasped at the familiar face, "What are you doing here?"

Alec was dressed in normal human clothes but he was still unnaturally pale, "you know perfectly well why I am here, stupid human," he grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the parking lot. He shoved her against a parked car, lifted her up by her coat and smelled her neck. "I can see why that vampire keeps you around, you smell delicious." Bella shook, not from the cold but the fear that was coursing through her veins. Alec licked the side of Bella's neck, snapping her from her fear.

"You better stop, Alice will be out here any second and you will be dead."

Alec snarled at Bella's empty threat, "death is a very popular subject this evening," he dropped her onto her feet but kept both arms on either side of her, "I'm sure you remember our first meeting and its conditions. You have 5 days before Aro will be here to see that your end of the deal has been held. Clearly it has not, but lucky for you, you have to be in one peace when Aro arrives or I would tear you limb for limb right here. Or if you want I can-" he grazed his teeth along her collar, "change you, give you pleasure I'm sure your little Edward knows nothing about."

"Please just let me go. I promised. I will be changed when Aro arrives." Alec growled at Bella, shoving her against the car so hard that she crumpled at his feet.

The pain in her knees from hitting the ground felt nothing as opposed to the feeling inside her chest. She felt as if she could not breathe, a sinking feeling settling in, not knowing what to do. Edward was gone and Aro would be here in 5 days time. Bella couldn't help but let her human emotion show- Alice found her like that 10 minutes later, sobbing, unable to speak, so she placed her into the small yellow Porsche and drove home.

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Sunlight poured directly onto Edwards closed eyes, his chest rose and fell only slightly and he shivered. His eyes popped open, he was cold. For the first time in eighty nine years Edward was cold. He jumped up and ran outside the tent. The old gypsy woman was gone; the only thing that remained was the ghostly remains of a dead fire pit. Having no idea how long he was out, or how long his trek home would take, Edward had only one thought, getting home to his Bella. Shivering and his heart pounding in his ears, Edward was amazed at the wispy breath coming from his own mouth.

"Bella.." he whispered. Finally he could be with her again, he could touch her without making her shiver, kiss her without wanting to suck her blood, suppressing his urge to kill her. Edward ran, at normal human speed, towards the Iqaluit Airport thinking all the while that he could finally make love to her, have children with her and grow old with her. He was no longer dangerous.

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Alice sat on her bed at the Cullen home a small cell phone pressed to her ear -no answer. She hung up and closed her eyes tightly, why she couldn't see Edward's decisions was a mystery to her, maybe he was blocking her out the way she sometimes blocked him out. She sighed and looked at her love, Jasper, lying on the bed next to her. He offered a small smile, and she leaned down to kiss him. She pulled away, "you know Edward is going to kill me."

Jasper sat up, "you have no other choice, Bella wants you to do it, Aro will be here in four days that gives you just enough time today to change her. Are you ready?"

Alice jumped up from their bed and made her way towards the door, "the real question is Bella ready for this?"

-Downstairs-

Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie were pacing around Bella, "are you sure you are ready for this?"

"I don't really have a choice. Edward isn't here, and Aro will be here in 4 days, just enough time for me to turn. Don't doubt me though, I do want to turn…. this- this isn't how I imagined it though."

Alice walked down the stairs very somber and very un-alice like, "are you really Bella?

"yes."

Alice sat to move besides Bella on the couch, "Emmett can you please go upstairs and check on Jasper? He said he was going to stay up there but I just wanted to make sure someone was with him while all of this was going on."

Emmett nodded, smiled at Bella and headed upstairs. Carlisle stood closer to Bella as Esme kissed him on the cheek, squeezed Bella's shoulder and went into the kitchen where Rosalie followed. "Okay Alice." Bella brushed her long brown hair to the other side of her, exposing her bare neck to Alice.

Alice leaned into Bella, teeth bared, and bit into her neck. Bella's screams filled the house as the fire slowly moved into her veins.

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"Are you sure she's okay? It's been three days, I am worried about her."

"Alice she is fine, everything seems to be coming along well."

Bella could hear people talking but she wasn't sure where she was. She slowly opened her eyes and the light was bright in her eyes. She sat up and looked around her, no one was in the room but she kept on hearing people, as if they were whispering. She grabbed her throat and it felt as if it was on fire. She was immensely thirsty. Carlisle walked into the room, "Bella you are awake. How are you feeling?"

Bella stood up and noticed that her body felt different, her mind felt different. She was frightened, and wanted Edward. "Is Edward home yet?"

Carlisle shook his head, "no not yet. But do not worry he did say his trip would be more than week long."

Alice walked into the room, a big smile on her face when she saw Bella was awake, "Bella! I am so happy to see you are awake and everything is okay, you'll have to hunt soon-"

Bella grabbed around her throat, not really listening to Alice, the only thing she was really thinking about was that Edward was going to miss her first hunt too.

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Bella returned felling much better, not so thirsty, and happy, feeling that she could get a hold of the whole animal hunting thing. Jaspers body went ridged next to her, Bella could feel her own instincts kicking in. She could smell them before she could hear them. Carlisle walked to the front door and opened it; Aro was standing in the doorway, an evil smile on his face. "Ah Carlisle, you look younger and younger each day that passes." He swept into the room and his gaze landed on Bella, "and you Bella, you are far more beautiful as a vampire than I had ever imagined. Have you discovered what your power is yet? You always did fascinate me, puzzled me even. I didn't bring Jane but I am starting to wish I did, we could have a little fun and see if your powers are still intact."

Stepping forward Carlisle blocked Aro from walking even further into his home, "Alright Aro, you see that the child has changed. Please leave us in peace now,"

Alec growled at Aro's side, "Calm down Alec, we don't want to stay here much longer anyway. Where is your other little vamp, the one with the mind powers?"

"Edward went to get me a wedding present, not that it's any of your business."

Aro rolled his eyes, "well yes, and good luck with all that. Alec, let's go, our business is done here." And with that Aro and Alec left Bella and the Cullens alone.

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2 DAYS LATER

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Bella was lying in Edward's room on their bed listening to his extensive collection of CD's, when suddenly she caught a whiff of a very unwavering scent. She sniffed, got up off of the bed and followed her nose downstairs. She was not surprised to see the rest of the Cullens down in the living room too. She looked at Carlisle and he had a funny look on his face. Suddenly the front door slammed open, and there stood Edward, exhausted, dirty, and human.

No one moved, until Jaspers snarl snapped them all out of their thoughts. He dove towards Edward but was stopped and drug upstairs by Emmett. Esme was sitting on the couch with her head in her hands; Alice could only stare with an open mouth. Bella was unable to form sentences. She could smell him, and he didn't smell like Edward to her.

"B..Bella? What happened?" Edward looked confused and was aware now of his very real vampire family staring at him.

If Bella could cry she would, but all she could manage was a simple, "Edward?" she dropped down to her knees, "no, no, no please no. Edward what did you do to yourself?" Edward was at her side in an instant. "Bella… you're so pale. Are you sick?" Bella growled and surprised Edward. He jumped up and looked at Alice.

"What did you do?"

"Aro sent a messenger about 5 days ago, my end of the deal…" Bella answered him, her golden eyes now staring into his green.

"No, no, no NO! This wasn't supposed to happen. No, no no.." he dropped down next to her. Tears started to slip down Edwards rosy cheeks. "They weren't supposed to come, we were supposed to leave together, and we were supposed to grow old together. I'm so sorry Bella. I messed up so bad… I just didn't want to be a monster anymore. And there was this gypsy a vampire from the Denali covenant told me about, she said it was just rumors but I hunted the gypsy down and found her… I…. I went to see her about becoming human again."

A sob escaped Bella, but no tears came. She looked up at Carlisle, "but he can be changed right? Or I can go to the gypsy and be change into a human again? Can't I?"

Carlisle opened his mouth to speak but Edward beat him to it, "she's gone. She was gone when I woke up. And she told me before she turned me that once I was turned I would die. I could not be turned into a vampire again."

The rest of the family that was still there slowly made their way out of the living room to give Edward and Bella some privacy. They continued to sit in the middle of the room, their legs intertwined, Edwards face, red and wet pressed up against Bella's pale face, contorted in pain and confusion.

"Oh Edward, what are we going to do? I can't live without you." Edward rapped his arms around her and pulled her into him. He shivered, she was so cold in his arms, but she was still his Bella. "I love you Bella, I couldn't live a dammed life without you, and I can not live a human life without you."

Bella gazed into his green eyes, and instantly knew how he felt all those times. She only wanted the best for him, Edward had to live 89 years as a dammed man, who thought he was soulless -now the tables were turned. His heart was beating and here she felt like a monster. Who was she to stand in the way of Edward having the life he always wanted but was so denied?

"I love you Edward. Always."

-100 YEARS LATER-

Edward Anthony Mason Cullen

1990-2077

"Bella."

Bella tore her gaze away from his headstone, "Yes Alice?"

Alice walked up to her, "Sweetie, are you almost ready? Carlisle says we have to be on the road in 5 minutes."

"Yes just give me a couple more minutes to say goodbye." Alice just nodded, glanced at the headstone and walked away.

Bella traced his name with her finger, the fake date of birth and his real death date, "Carlisle says that we have to leave Forks, we've been here too long….. I miss you…. even though it's only been 30 years since I last saw you. And even though you did age… when I close my eyes, I can still see you as I knew you. Seventeen forever…" A dry sob escaped her lips, "I fear most that I will forget about you, and that kills me." She looked around the empty cemetery and then back to his stone and re-read his name, "Oh Edward, it's so unfair……..I will come back. I promise you. I love you Edward, Always."


End file.
